Motherboard Types and Features
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82 CHAPTER 3 All About Motherboards MOTHERBOARD TYPES AND FEATURES A+ A motherboard is the most complicated component in a computer. When you put 220-801 together a computer from parts, generally you start with deciding on which processor and 1.2 motherboard you will use. Everything else follows these two decisions. Take a look at the details of Figure 3-1, which shows a microATX motherboard by Intel that can hold an Intel Core i7, Core i5, or Core i3 processor in the LGA1155 processor socket. When selecting a motherboard, generally, you’d need to pay attention to the form factor, processor socket, chipset, buses and number of bus slots, and other connectors, slots, and ports. In this part of the chapter, we’ll look at the details of each of these features so that you can read a mobo ad with the knowledge of a pro and know how to select the right motherboard when replacing an existing one or when building a new system. Regular PCI slot Two PCIe ×1 slots PCIe ×16 slot Cooler with CPU below Four memory modules (DIMMs) Chipset under heat sink © Cengage Learning 2014 Figure 3-1 The Intel desktop motherboard DH67GD with processor, cooler, and memory modules installed MOTHERBOARD FORM FACTORS Recall from Chapter 1 that a motherboard form factor determines the size of the board and its features that make it compatible with power supplies and cases. The most popular motherboard form factors are ATX, microATX (a smaller version of ATX), and Mini-ITX (a smaller version of microATX). You saw a microATX motherboard in Figure 3-1. Figure 3-2 shows an ATX board, and a Mini-ITX board is shown in Figure 3-3. Also know that the Mini-ITX board is commonly referred to as an ITX board. Table 3-1 lists the popular and not-so-popular form factors used by motherboards, and Figure 3-4 shows a comparison of the sizes and hole positions of the ATX, microATX, and Mini-ITX boards. Each of these three boards can fi t into an ATX computer case and use an ATX power supply. Motherboard Types and Features 83 Socket LGA1366 A+ 220-801 X58 North 1.2 Bridge Four DDR3 South Bridge DIMM slots PCIe x16 slots for two video cards 3 © Cengage Learning 2014 Figure 3-2 Intel DX58SO motherboard is designed with the gamer in mind Courtesy of ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Figure 3-3 A Mini-ITX motherboard Form Factor Motherboard Size Description ATX, full size Up to 12" x 9.6" This popular form factor has had many revisions and variations. (305mm × 244mm) MicroATX Up to 9.6" x 9.6" Smaller version of ATX. (244mm × 244mm) Mini-ITX Up to 6.7" x 6.7" Small form factor used in low-end computers and home theater (a.k.a. ITX) (170mm x 170mm) systems. The boards are often used with an Intel Atom processor and are sometimes purchased as a motherboard-processor combo unit. FlexATX Up to 9" x 7.5" Smaller version of MicroATX. BTX Up to 12.8" wide The BTX boards can have up to seven expansion slots, are designed for improved airfl ow, and can use an ATX power supply. © Cengage Learning 2014 Table 3-1 Motherboard form factors (continues) 84 CHAPTER 3 All About Motherboards A+ Form Factor Motherboard Size Description 220-801 1.2 MicroBTX Up to 10.4" wide Smaller version of BTX and can have up to four expansion slots. PicoBTX Up to 8" wide Smaller than MicroBTX and can have up to two expansion slots. NLX Up to 9" x 13.6" Used in low-end systems with a riser card. © Cengage Learning 2014 Table 3-1 Motherboard form factors (continued) Rear of motherboard ATX MicroATX Mini-ITX 170mm 244mm 244mm 305mm © Cengage Learning 2014 Figure 3-4 Sizes and hole positions for the ATX, microATX, and Mini-ITX motherboards A+ Exam Tip The A+ 220-801 exam expects you to know about the ATX, MicroATX, and ITX motherboard form factors. A+ PROCESSOR SOCKETS 220-801 1.2, 1.6 Another important feature of a motherboard is the processor socket. This socket and the chipset determine which processors a board can support. A socket for a personal computer is designed to hold either an Intel processor or an AMD processor. Some older processors were installed on the motherboard in a long narrow slot, but all processors sold today use sockets. Now let’s look at sockets for Intel and AMD processors. SOCKETS FOR INTEL PROCESSORS Table 3-2 lists the sockets used by Intel processors for desktop systems. The fi rst two sockets are currently used by new Intel processors. The last six sockets in the table have been discontinued by Intel, but you still need to be able to support them because you might be called on to replace a processor or motherboard using one of these legacy sockets. The types of memory listed in the table that are used with these sockets are explained in detail in Chapter 4. Also know that Intel makes several Itanium and Xeon processors designed for servers. These server processors might use different sockets than those listed in the table. Mobile processor sockets are also not included in the table. Motherboard Types and Features 85 A+ Intel Socket Names Used by Processor Family Description 220-801 1.2, 1.6 LGA2011 Second Generation (Sandy 2011 pins in the socket touch 2011 Bridge) Core i7 Extreme, lands on the processor, which uses a Core i7, Core i5, Core i3, fl ip-chip land grid array (FCLGA). Pentium, and Celeron Used in high-end gaming and server computers and might require a liquid cooling system. 3 LGA1155 and Third Generation (Ivy Bridge) 1155 pins in the socket touch 1155 FCLGA1155 Core i7, Core i5 lands on the processor. Second Generation (Sandy The LGA1155 is currently the most Bridge) Core i7 Extreme, popular Intel socket and is shown in Core i7, Core i5, Core i3, Figure 3-5. Pentium, and Celeron Works with DDR3 memory and was designed to replace the LGA1156 socket. LGA1156 or Socket H Core i7, Core i5, Core i3, 1156 pins in the socket touch 1156 or H1 Pentium, and Celeron lands on the processor, which uses a fl ip-chip land grid array (FCLGA). Works with DDR3 memory. LGA1366 or Socket B Core i7, Core i7 Extreme 1366 pins in the socket touch 1366 lands on the processor. Works with DDR3 memory. LGA771 or Socket J Core 2 Extreme 771 pins in the socket touch 771 lands on the processor. Used on high-end workstations and low-end servers. Works with DDR2 memory on boards that have two processor sockets. LGA775 or Socket T Core 2 Extreme, Core 2 Quad, 775 pins in the socket touch Core 2 Duo, Pentium Dual-Core, 775 lands on the processor. Pentium Extreme Edition, Works with DDR3 and DDR2 memory. Pentium D, Pentium Pentium 4, and Celeron Socket 478 Pentium 4, Celeron 478 holes in the socket are used by 478 pins on the processor. Uses a dense micro Pin Grid Array (mPGA). Socket 423 Pentium 4 423 holes in the socket are used by 423 pins on the processor. 39 x 39 SPGA grid. © Cengage Learning 2014 Table 3-2 Sockets for Intel processors used for desktop computers A+ Exam Tip The A+ 220-801 exam expects you to know about Intel LGA sockets, including the 775, 1155, 1156, and 1366 LGA sockets. 86 CHAPTER 3 All About Motherboards A+ 220-801 1.2, 1.6 Processor installed in socket Socket lever used to open and close the socket © Cengage Learning 2014 Figure 3-5 The LGA1155 socket is used by a variety of Intel processors Sockets and processors use different methods to make the contacts between them. Here is a list of the more important methods: A pin grid array (PGA) socket has holes aligned in uniform rows around the socket to receive the pins on the bottom of the processor. Early Intel processors used PGA sockets, but they caused problems because the small delicate pins on the processor were easily bent as the processor was installed in the socket. Some newer Intel mobile processors, including the Second Generation Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 processors use the PGA988 socket or the FCPGA988 socket in laptops. A land grid array (LGA) socket has blunt protruding pins on the socket that connect with lands or pads on the bottom of the processor. The fi rst LGA socket was the LGA775 socket. It has 775 pins and is shown with the socket lever and top open in Figure 3-6. Another LGA socket is the LGA1366 shown in Figure 3-7. LGA sockets generally give better contacts than PGA sockets, and the processor doesn’t have the delicate pins so easily damaged during an installation. You learn how to use both sockets in Chapter 4. Plastic cover protects the socket when it's not in use © Cengage Learning 2014 Figure 3-6 Socket LGA775 is the fi rst Intel socket to use lands rather than pins Motherboard Types and Features 87 A+ 220-801 Load plate 1.2, 1.6 Open socket Load lever 3 © Cengage Learning 2014 Figure 3-7 The LGA1366 socket with socket cover removed and load level lifted ready to receive a processor Notes Figure 3-8 shows a close-up photo of the LGA775 socket and the bottom of a Pentium processor. Can you make out the pads or lands on the processor and the pins in the socket? © Cengage Learning 2014 Figure 3-8 Socket LGA775 and the bottom of a Pentium processor Some sockets can handle a processor using a fl ip-chip land grid array (FCLGA) processor package or a fl ip chip pin grid array (FCPGA) package.